Small Mercs to go Rear Wheel drive in 2011

[Dryce]

Ok well two things
1 - The handling characertistics can vary model to model because of differings weights, differing suspnsion setups, differing wheels.

.... and weight distribution.

The A is a different set of compromises.

The A feels quite heavy. It's not as stable pushed into curves as others in its class. Two up it's significantly worse.

It's a good motorway car. It's quiet and bowls along quite well.

The 150 petrol models are not particularly economical.

The CVT auto makes it a good town/urban car for a small auto.

2 - A bad handling car in your eyes may be a good handling car in someone else's eyes. The current Astra and Auris/ Corolla both score lower in driver power than the A for instance.

'driver power' is who's measurement of what exactly? Does it have a unit?

 

[Dryce]

I wonder if the initial build quality issues of the first generation A-class are still haunting MB and putting off potential buyers?.....once bitten, twice shy and all that

More likely that the dealers at that time were putting people off more than anything detrimental in the car.

 

[J400uk]

'driver power' is who's measurement of what exactly? Does it have a unit?

I was reffering to the handling rating in the AutoExpress driver power survery Driver Power 2009 | Car Reviews | Auto Express

 

[wemorgan]

More likely that the dealers at that time were putting people off more than anything detrimental in the car.

True. Certainly my reception at Audi Stratford upon Avon was warmer than that at MB Stratford, who made me feel I was too tight to be a real MB owner.......how true they were though

 

[Dryce]

I was reffering to the handling rating in the AutoExpress driver power survery Driver Power 2009 | Car Reviews | Auto Express

Well I must be wrong then. According to them it's absolutely fantastic.

So let's see. It must be scientific, right? After all they're reporting such a precise rating (4 significant figures / 2 decimal places - wow! accuracy or what?)

And so let's look at what they say about the E-Class. Why? Well they report handling as ranked 31st. But hold on a minute. The E has *four* suspension options in the range. So which one are they reporting? They can't all be 31st. Can they?

So where does this number come from? Well frankly apart from the rankings being tosh (the E can't be the only car out there with different suspension options). And putting aside the utter nonsense of the percentage with *two* decimal places (I despair sometimes). That ranking comes from owners. Many of who will have very little objectively to compare with - except their previous car. So of course the well meaning souls who had the old jittery A and get the new better behaved one think it's wonderful. Quite right too. No doubt 85.245424% better.

But hardly a realistic measure of where it really stands.

 

[J400uk]

stuff

I agree with you about it not been scientific etc, BUT my point initially was simply the A-Class is not the worst in the sector for handling, and I was merely using Driver Power survery as something to back this up.

 

[Dryce]

I agree with you about it not been scientific etc, BUT my point initially was simply the A-Class is not the worst in the sector for handling, and I was merely using Driver Power survery as something to back this up.

It's not a bad car! But I suspect the last thing on a buyer's mind when they go looking for one is that it will tough it out against an Astra or Focus. Which is why the surveys will just show weird results for it.

I think, perhaps, the main point is that it probably meets customer expectations very well in this regard. And that probably means the figures represent a satisfation rating rather than a comparative rating.

 

[J400uk]

It's not a bad car! But I suspect the last thing on a buyer's mind when they go looking for one is that it will tough it out against an Astra or Focus. Which is why the surveys will just show weird results for it.

I think, perhaps, the main point is that it probably meets customer expectations very well in this regard. And that probably means the figures represent a satisfation rating rather than a comparative rating.

Yeah I'd agree with that, and I suppose its difficult to know what to compare the car against as some people say its a supermini, some say its a small family car and some say its an MPV etc. Either way, its the only car in those three sectors with a 3-pointed star, which is likely the main factor that sells it for most people!

 

[grober]

One problem with asking owners what their car is like is a bit like asking people if they enjoyed their summer holiday. Vanity often precludes people from telling the truth. e.g. the holiday " package" they built for themselves was a total nightmare starting with the hidden airline costs, the rat infested accommodation and the 2 weeks of uncontrollable diarrhea due to insanitary hotel food and being mugged on the way back to the airport.
Same with cars. Very few will admit they bought a "lemon". So likewise-- its very spacious-- means the ride is atrocious. Its cheap to run it does 45 mpg omits the fact the last service/repair cost £750. Its a Mercedes means someone's got pay for corporate manufacturing mistakes. etc etc.
Motoring journalists are little help, driving almost new cars possibly from a specially prepared press fleet in exotic junkets around the world.J Clarkson et al's views are almost always highly coloured by a car's performance which becomes irrelevant while waiting on the hard shoulder of the the M6 for the tow truck! That figure of 0-60 mph is suddenly measured in days when the car is broken down. I suppose the best guides are the motoring press " long term reports" where journo's have to live with a car for several months and the experiences of members on forums like this. The one good thing about all Mercedes I have found so far is that "they do grow on you" Many of the design strengths and integrity of these cars only become apparent after many months/years of ownership and are sometimes not appreciated until the car is sold for another marque.

 

[st13phil]

The one good thing about all Mercedes I have found so far is that "they do grow on you" Many of the design strengths and integrity of these cars only become apparent after many months/years of ownership and are sometimes not appreciated until the car is sold for another marque.

Very true. My W204 is my first MB which I've now owned for just under 18 months and during the first few months of ownership I kept finding really subtle design features that, in aggregate, make the car so much nicer to live with than other marques. Over time I have tended to forget those subtle things, taking them for granted, and it's only when I drive another manufacturer's car that I notice they're missing.

 

[Smatt]

Excellent. This will be good for MB sales. It has been for BMWs with the 1er-and if I were in the market for a 5dr hatch its the only choice as RWD.

I don't think the great majority of people looking for a small family mpv are going to base the purchase decision on whether its fwd/rwd. They are more likely to place factors such as style/image/space/practicality/cost above this.

RWD is excellent and should be adopted by all car makers. FWD is an economy of design to allow better packaging. I want a more engaging car to drive and MB are delivering this. Well done to them.

MB are simply doing it because the sandwich floor was expensive & meant that engines had to be produced just for the A/B class. Using the C platform means the standard MB engines can be used in the A/B class too

Note the RWD may also prove more economical-less power assistance for the steering is needed, and around town the turning circle is better.A Focus RS would have been so much better if it were RWD. They made it it FWD because of financial reasons, as the platform is FWD, not for engineering ones.

But rwd is also heavier, uses more parts & potentially more friction/transmission losses.
Most cars on the roads are fwd. Most drivers are used to fwd handling. Many regard fwd as more forgiving so better for 'ordinary' drivers.
How many of us looked like idiots getting stuck in the winters snow in our rwd cars when all the fwd owners sailed along?

Thinking about it, surely a RWD B-Class would negate the need for the recently released CLC (aka c-class sports coupe)?

Yes, a sport coupe/convertible is likely to replace the CLC

The 1-Series (however good it is to drive, and I personally don't think it's that good) is handicapped by marmite styling, high price, mediocre equipment levels and significant lack of practicality in comparison to the Golf / A3 platform. Other than that, it's perfect

Agreed. I believe the main reason that the 1 is popular is because it has the BMW image & gives people in the market for a medium hatch/coupe a quality/classy alternative to the Golf/A3. Image probably is the main deciding factor in this.
If MB stick to the high position mpv style, then it will still not compete with the 1 series (rwd or not) as it is a different market sector. BMW do not make a small mpv (the X3 is more a 4x4)